Headline News

23, July 2024

Archbishop Nkea says Catholic teachers should “hand over a culture of peace” ⁰

Catholic teachers have to be peace ambassadors, imparting a culture of peace to learners, Archbishop Andrew Fuanya Nkea of Cameroon’s Catholic Archdiocese of Bamenda has said.

In his homily during the annual celebration of Teachers Day in his Metropolitan See, Archbishop Nkea urged Catholic teachers to exercise their profession, which he said is characterized by dignity, with commitment.

“The vocation you have answered to be a teacher is a very noble one. It is a profession that has dignity,” he said during the July 20 celebration that was held at St. Joseph Cathedral of Bamenda Archdiocese.

The Cameroonian Catholic Archbishop added, “The dignity of this vocation lies in the fact that you take responsibility to do what God does; impart knowledge to others and we know that God, who has called you will not abandon you. He will continue to protect you, especially from the violence that we have in our society.”

“That is why I ask all of you to be pro-peace and to hand over a culture of peace to the children whom you teach,” the Archbishop of Bamenda who doubles as the President of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon (NECC) said.

He told the Catholic teachers to “see every child sitting in your classroom as your own biological child.”

“You are transmitters of knowledge and therefore transmitters of truth. You are not going to give your own ideas or what you think. You are going to transmit what is true,” he emphasized.

He also underlined the need to foster moral aptitude, saying, “You are transmitters of the doctrine of our church because our schools remain agents of evangelization. You are transmitters of the moral values of the church which are summarized in the 10 Commandments.”

The 58-year-old Catholic Archbishop, who started his Episcopal Ministry in August 2013 as the Coadjutor Bishop of Cameroon’s Mamfe Diocese called upon the Catholic teachers to find fulfilment in their profession and interaction with learners.

“Be happy, joyful, and proud teachers. Be teachers with dignity,” he said.

Archbishop Nkea added, “Let the poverty you have be known only to your pockets. The more you thank God for what he has done, the more God multiplies what you are. The value of what you do can never ever be quantified or calculated in monetary terms.”

He encouraged the Catholic teachers to be sources of inspiration. When people get to see you, he said, let them be “hungry to be Catholic teachers.”

Source: aciafrica

23, July 2024

France: US rapper Snoop Dogg to carry Olympic torch ⁰

American rapper Snoop Dogg will carry the Olympic flame through Saint-Denis this Friday, marking a significant moment before the Paris Games’ opening ceremony. Joining him are French actress Laetitia Casta, French rapper MC Solaar, and retired Ukrainian pole-vaulter Sergey Bubka.

American rapper Snoop Dogg will be among the carriers of the Olympic flame this Friday as it makes its final rounds before the Paris Games’ opening ceremony.

He will carry it through the streets of Saint-Denis, the ethnically diverse northern Paris suburb that is home to the Olympic Stadium and Aquatics Centre, the town’s mayor Mathieu Hanotin told AFP on Monday.

Other carriers in Saint-Denis Friday will include French actress Laetitia Casta, French rapper MC Solaar and Ukrainian retired pole-vaulter Sergey Bubka.

The Olympic flame has spent two months crossing France, and Friday morning it will be carried through the athletes’ village which straddles Saint-Denis and neighbouring Saint-Ouen, before going to the Olympic Stadium and the Aquatics Centre a few kilometres away.

Snoop Dogg, 52, was born in greater Los Angeles, which will host the next Games in 2028.

The torch relay will not be the rapper’s only appearance at the 2024 Games as he will also be an Olympic commentator for US television station NBC.

Source: AFP

23, July 2024

US: Kamala Harris wins enough support to clinch Democratic nomination ⁰

Vice-President Kamala Harris has attracted the support of enough Democratic delegates to become the party’s nominee for president.

A survey by the Associated Press on Monday evening said Ms Harris had received the endorsement of more than the 1,976 delegates needed to win the nomination in the first round of voting.

Ms Harris said she was “proud” to have secured “broad support” and looked forward to formally accepting the nomination.

Delegates are people who are selected to represent their electoral area at the Democratic National Convention (DNC), the party’s key nominating event.

Such endorsements are non-binding, but if the total holds between now and when delegates cast their votes, scheduled to take place from 1-7 August, Ms Harris would formally clinch the party’s nomination.

Delegations from at least 27 states have issued statements of their full delegations supporting Ms Harris, according to CBS.

The survey is an indication of the groundswell of support for Ms Harris after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race on Sunday.

Since Mr Biden’s announcement, millions of dollars in donations have poured into her campaign and leading Democrats have lined up to support her bid as the Democratic nominee.

Speaking to staff at her campaign’s headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, on Monday evening, Ms Harris told campaign staff: “We have 106 days until Election Day and in that time, we have some hard work to do.”

Ms Harris took the team through her vision of the country and the views that she says separate this campaign from Trump’s, saying she would gladly put her record up against his.

“Our campaign has always been about two different versions of what we see as the future of our country,” she said. “One focuses on the future, the other focuses on the past. Donald Trump wants to take our country backwards… We believe in a brighter future that makes room for all Americans.”

She also noted Mr Biden’s accomplishments, saying her time serving as his vice-president was “one of the greatest honours of my life”.

Ms Harris noted the “roller coaster” of “mixed emotions” they’ve all been on because “I love Joe Biden, and I know we all do”. She promised she’d work hard to earn the nomination for president and unite both Democrats and the country as a whole.

Source: BBC

22, July 2024

US: Vice President Harris kicks off campaign for Democratic nomination ⁰

Momentum is behind Vice-President Kamala Harris to lock up the bid for White House. More leading Democrats are backing US Vice-President Kamala Harris as the party’s new presidential nominee, as her campaign sees a surge in donations

She is due to appear here on the South Lawn later today with college athletes for a pre-scheduled event. But she arrives out of the shadow of the president, with the most scrutinising of spotlights firmly now on her as a potential presidential candidate.

Of course vice-presidents aren’t handed the nomination on a plate. One historical example is Hubert Humphrey in 1968. He won the contentious Democratic Party presidential nomination at the party’s convention, after Lyndon B. Johnson said he wouldn’t seek a second term. He ultimately lost to Richard Nixon and a united Republican Party.

Harris has said she will earn the nomination and it is increasingly looking like no one significant will challenge her for it.

If she seals it, November’s election will be historic in more ways than one.

America will definitely get a new president – either the astonishing return of the criminally convicted Donald Trump or it its first ever female president.

Source: BBC

21, July 2024

US Politics: Biden backs Kamala Harris as Democratic nominee after dropping out of race ⁰

US President Joe Biden said Sunday he was endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for the 2024 election after announcing he was dropping of the race. Biden ended his bid for reelection following a disastrous debate with Donald Trump that raised doubts about his fitness for office just four months before the election.

The octogenarian president spent more than three weeks resisting calls to step down following a disastrous debate against Trump on June 27.

Biden said Sunday he was endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for the 2024 election, saying he was offering Harris his “full support”.

Biden said he would “speak to the nation later this week in more detail” about his decision.

21, July 2024

There are reasons why SNH Board Meetings are now holding at the Presidential Palace ⁰

An extraordinary meeting of the board of Cameroon’s oil and gas corporation (SNH) is scheduled for next July 24 at the Presidential Palace, not at the company’s headquarters. The info is detailed in a letter from the board’s chairman, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, who also serves as the Secretary General of the Presidency.

“Dear Board Member, I am pleased to inform you that the extraordinary board meeting of SNH, originally planned for Wednesday, July 17, 2024, has been rescheduled to Wednesday, July 24, 2024, at 2:00 PM, in Room 8324 of the Secretary General’s Office at the Presidential Palace, maintaining the same agenda,” reads the letter from Ngoh Ngoh to board member Jules Mana Nschwangele. This notice confirms various rumors circulating since July 17, 2024.

The rescheduling confirms that the board meeting initially set for July 17 did not take place. Reports from various digital platforms, later corroborated by board members, indicate that the meeting was blocked due to the closure of the company’s doors, a decision reportedly made by SNH’s current General Administrator, Adolphe Moudiki.

Handover of power

Internal sources suggest that on July 17, 2024, board members were turned away from SNH’s headquarters despite arriving to attend the meeting. The shift of the meeting to the presidential palace highlights the challenges in organizing such events at the company’s main office.

Furthermore, the board’s notification hints at a significant decision expected from this extraordinary session, which has only one item on the agenda, according to the Secretary General’s letter. Various sources indicate that the meeting will likely lead to the replacement of the General Administrator. After 31 years in charge, Adolphe Moudiki is expected to be succeeded by Joseph Dipepa, a prominent RDPC party member from the Littoral region.

It appears that Moudiki’s frustration is not solely with the prospect of being replaced but also with not being informed about his impending departure from the company. Additionally, there seems to be dissatisfaction about not being consulted on a replacement, as Dipepa’s appointment has reportedly stirred discontent among SNH’s old guard. Notably, on March 6, 2024, Moudiki signed a memo hinting at a power transition, though it still left him central to the management structure while delegating significant responsibilities to Igor Emmanuel Soya Bissaya, his second advisor.

Glencore Case

Beyond the anticipated leadership change at SNH, recent developments reflect ongoing tensions between the General Administrator and the Chairman. Disputes have arisen in connection with the Savannah Energy case. This British junior oil company had signed an agreement with SNH on April 19, 2023, to purchase 10% of assets claimed by Savannah in the Cameroon Oil Transportation Company (Cotco), which manages over 90% of the Chad-Cameroon pipeline in Cameroon. This agreement led to a diplomatic crisis between Cameroon and Chad, with Chad contesting Savannah’s claims in Cotco and in Chad Oil Transportation Company (Totco), as well as in Chadian oil fields.

In response, SNH Chairman Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh was dispatched to N’Djamena by President Biya, following Chad’s recall of its ambassador from Cameroon. Ngoh Ngoh announced the resolution of the crisis after meeting with the Chadian President on April 26, 2023. He then chaired an SNH board meeting on June 13, 2023, where the transaction with Savannah Energy was “frozen.” Unusually, the official statement on this decision bore the Presidential Palace’s letterhead instead of SNH’s. Sources suggest this statement bypassed another version being prepared by SNH before being sent to the Chairman for approval.

Additionally, there is the Glencore case, involving the Anglo-Swiss trader sentenced in November 2022 for bribing public officials in Africa, including Cameroon. After SNH publicly denounced such practices, Moudiki reportedly sought a state investigation into SNH’s involvement in the Glencore scandal. This request, though approved by the President, is seen by some as a move to settle scores with close aides of the President.

Source: Business in Cameroon

20, July 2024

Southern Cameroons Crisis: 4 Amba fighters killed in Alabukam ⁰

At least four Ambazonia fighters have been killed in a Yaoundé-backed military offensive in the Northwest region, the army said on Saturday.

The raid took place Friday in Alabukam, a neighborhood in Bamenda, the regional capital.

Among those killed was deputy commander of the Ambazonia Restoration Force in the locality the Francophone dominated military said in a statement.

Bamenda has witnessed renewed violence since early July, after Southern Cameroons Self Defense Forces ordered that all taxis in the city be painted in blue and white, the colors of the flag of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia.

Armed English speaking fighters began clashing with the Francophone dominated government forces in the South West and North West in 2017.

By Fon Lawrence with files

19, July 2024

Ekpe and Manyu Traditional Rulers Association: Time to Stop the Madness!! ⁰

Cultural institutions define people by encompassing their language, shared habits, music and arts. In Manyu, Cameroon, over the last centuries, the institution of Ekpe has remained resolute despite uncountable challenges. With solid norms and practises, this institution has become the envy of many worldwide. Mgbe as it is commonly referred to have heavily influenced community peace and justice within Manyu. However, on the 16th of April 2024, the foundation of Mgbe the most important pillar of the Manyu nation was tested. Since that day, tension has existed between the Manyu Traditional Rulers Association (MATRA) and the Manyu Mgbe Supreme Council, the body that runs Ekpe activities in Manyu.

Frustrated by the lack of success against Mgbe in this public row, MATRA, currently led by Chief Orock John Mbi of Okoyong has reportedly done the unthinkable by asking the Senior Divisional Officer (SDO) for Manyu to intervene. Understanding the traditional institutions of the Manyu State, the cultural bodies existing within Manyu including their modus operandi is of grave importance. Mgbe is a powerful Manyu institution, a private members club, a spiritual brotherhood and also the judiciary arm of the Manyu nation.

The idea that members of MATRA intend to take this paramount Manyu institution to an “outsider” for guidance or retribution is sacrilegious and unpardonable. This sort of tactless and reckless adventure will never be tolerated in the grass field kingdoms. Therefore, the silent members of MATRA are guilty by association and shall inevitably face titanic consequences in their respective communities and villages.

Our ancestors embarked on resistance in the nineteenth and twentieth century to rid themselves of foreign state power so we can be the commanders of our cultural establishments. Successive political leaders in the then German Kamerun and later on United Republic of Cameroon understood their limits, and demonstrated enormous veneration, and even awe when dealing with Mgbe and other Manyu traditional institutions.

The SDO and other state actors play key roles in governing and the enormity of the daily challenges they face cannot be underestimated. However, passing judgment or advising on Manyu traditional matters is NOT for them. MATRA and the leaders of the Mgbe Manyu Supreme Council should demonstrate wisdom and thoughtfulness by convening an extraordinary meeting without delay. The SDO must be informed thereafter that both parties have resolved their differences as demanded by the customs and traditions of the Manyu people.

Mgbe and Manyu Chiefs represent critical pieces of our Manyu identity and nation. However, the foundations of that nation are trembling. Many at home and in the diaspora are watching this current misfortune closely and regrettably, and we Ekpe members in the diaspora, will not relent in our efforts to let the main actors in this acrimony see sense.

A lethal cocktail of arrogance and pride is destroying the reputation of the Manyu traditional rulers and their authority is weakening day-by-day. This negative trend must be discontinued immediately.

On the 7th of May 2024, these writers and custodians of Manyu culture sounded a note of caution to MATRA asking them to exercise restraint and not overstep their assigned authority. They did not listen! Today, Manyu is telling MATRA and the leaders of the Manyu Mgbe Supreme Council loudly and clearly that their impending public washing of dirty linens is unwise and tantamount to cultural vandalism. A volcano will visit them if 550 years of cultural red lines are crossed.

By Sessekou Isong Asu, and Nfor Mgbe Barrister John Ntuiabane, Mgbe UK

17, July 2024

Yaoundé gets $4.8M South Korea grant to advance civil registration modernization project ⁰

The Minister of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Alamine Ousmane Mey, recently signed an agreement with the government of South Korea totalling XAF 23.21 billion (US$38 million) for the execution of five development projects in the country.

Part of the funds will be channeled to the next phase of an ongoing project to upgrade and digitize the country’s civil status registration system.

Ousmane Mey signed the agreement on behalf of Cameroon, while the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Cameroon, Nam Ki-wook, appended his signature for his country.

Cameroon is fully on a journey to digitize its civil status registration system and several actions have been taken in this regard. Already, a pilot using the OpenCRVS platform for birth registration in 20 municipal councils of the country has been completed, and a new course of action is awaited. In May, the country held a national forum of mayors to discuss hindrances to civil status registration.

Ousmane Mey said $4.8 million out of the $38 million grant will be deployed to subsequent activities of the project which seeks to set up a robust, efficient and secure foundational identity system for the country.

A project in Cameroon dubbed the “Support Program for the Modernization of the Civil Registration System” (PAMEC) is supported by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and it is within that framework that this latest grant funding from Korea has been made available, said the Ambassador. The project also has the financial support of the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).

While underlining that the funding agreement underpins the good state of relations between the two countries, the diplomat urged the government of Cameroon to implement the project in a transparent and accountable manner.

Another digital project to benefit from the financing, according to the partners, is the second phase of a program to digitize Cameroon’s public contracts procurement system, known as “e-Procurement System Development Project.” This project, to get $5.6 million from the package, is a continuation of efforts by the country to simplify procurement procedures of public contracts by enhancing transparency and efficiency.

A “Smart Campus” project is also part of the lot, according to Ousmane Mey, and will get $8 million from the grant. He says the project seeks to promote digital government efforts in the public administration and modernize service delivery in the public service.

Apart from these three projects related to digital, the two others to benefit from the Korean financing have to do with the provision of potable water schemes in four council areas, and the strengthening of the country’s emergency medicines management system.

Source: Biometricupdate

17, July 2024

CPDM Crime Syndicate: Inflation Still Above 3% in June 2024 Despite Decline Since March 2023 ⁰

In June 2024, consumer prices in Cameroon rose by 4.3% year-on-year, according to a report on household consumption prices published by the National Institute of Statistics (INS). This increase is attributed to a 5.2% rise in food prices and an 11.2% increase in transportation costs.

Despite a gradual decline from a peak of 8.5% in March 2023, the inflation rate remains above the 3% tolerance threshold set by the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC).

“On a regional level, inflation rates vary between 5.1% and 7.4%. However, the rate is 3.6% in Bamenda (…) Depending on the origin of the products, inflation is mainly due to internal factors. Prices of local products rose by 6.1%, while those of imported products only increased by 4.5% over the same period”, states the INS report.

Source: Business in Cameroon